Near Death Experience
by BigTimeRush-BTR
Summary: There is no limitation to what someone will do in order to save their best friend. Especially if that best friend is considered that person's little brother. Kames bromance and Kendall angst!


**Hello! :D Guys, I'm falling asleep, but I just had to finish this before going to bed. Hope you all enjoy a little Kames bromance. I mean, it doesn't do any harm, right? ;)**

* * *

His long and skinny fingers were hard and cold under his fingertips, lacking the baby softness and warmth they usually held. James could only shiver uncontrollably as he held the limp body of his best friend in his arms, rocking him back and forth in hopes of radiating some heat onto his still and almost lifeless form. His lips were so pale, skin as white and cold as the snow laying beneath them, eyes so frozen and paralyzed by shock and fear. How James wished he could take away that look from his baby brother's face, and never ever let it make a comeback.

James' breath seemed to get caught in his throat as a cold and smaller hand landed on top of his, fingers squeezing feebly against his skin, numb finger moving over his knuckles in a slow pace. The blond in his arms had now closed his eyes, his long, golden eyelashes resting against his cheekbones. His breathing was labored; his mouth opening and closing as if he were trying to say something, but the chattering of his teeth wouldn't allow him to do so.

The brunette tangled his fingers with Kendall's, giving his hand a gentle squeeze of reassurance. "It's okay, it's okay," he repeated over and over, hating the way his voice trembled with each word. "You're gonna be just fine. I promise." His eyes filled with tears; tears he refused to release. He refused to cry in front of Kendall. Seeing James with tears running down his face would surely frighten the younger boy.

That was the last thing he wanted to do.

"J'mes, 'm cold," Kendall slurred, his fever-glazed eyes cracking open and meeting James' hazel ones. James only tightened his hold on the frail boy, hugging his skinny body against his muscular one. He carefully held onto him with one arm as he attempted to remove his jacket with the other. He then switched arms, finally succeeding in removing the garment. James proceeded to drape it over Kendall's shaking form, but a hand suddenly moved forward and gripped onto his with a weak hold.

"You'll get sick," the boy with dark, bushy eyebrows protested, to which James only shook his head, gently removed the hand holding onto his, and continued with his action. He made sure to tuck the heavy jacket around Kendall, making sure it was nice and snug before pulling the smaller teen closer to his body. His head rested on top of fluffy blond hair as he closed his eyes for a brief moment.

"When 'ey gettin' here?" Kendall questioned in his slurry voice, not only from the powerful fever raging through his body but also from the fact that his voice was muffled due to the fact that his face was pressed against James' chest.

"Soon, buddy. You just have to hold on a little bit longer." As James said this he came to the realization that Kendall was starting to lose his fight against unconsciousness. His eyes were dropping shut. The brunette yelped in alarm, fearing what would happen if Kendall were to fall asleep.

"Kenny, Kendall, open your eyes." He gently patted the blond's cheek just as his eyes dropped shut. A sigh of relief slipped past his lips when his eyes cracked open once again. "You can't fall asleep, buddy. You have to stay awake." He hated to do this to Kendall, because the boy looked beyond exhausted, and his illness was clearly worsening.

Kendall opened his mouth to respond, but the sudden sound of a siren blaring in the distance stopped him from doing so. James smiled at the sound and stood up on wobbly legs, all the while fearing that his knees would collapse from under him, and he and Kendall would go falling to the snowy ground.

"They're here, Kenny. You're gonna be okay, buddy," the brunette whispered with a smile. However, that smile was immediately wiped away from his face when he saw that Kendall's eyes were closed shut and his mouth was parted slightly. "Kendall, no..." He tried to slap him awake, but it was no use. His attempts were futile.

Kendall was dead weight in his arms. He looked so lifeless and pale. Way paler than usual. The thought of Kendall being dead did nothing but bring tears into James' honey colored eyes. Kendall just couldn't be dead. He was too young; just a twelve-year-old boy. He had a full life ahead of him.

With tears blurring his vision, James made his way over to the ambulance that had just stopped in front of him. Two paramedics immediately jumped out of the back, carrying a gurney. Even though it was the last thing he wanted, James allowed for the paramedics to take the smaller boy from his warm hold.

"Is he going to d-die?" James' voice cracked at the last word as an oxygen mask was placed over Kendall's face. A large, warm hand was placed on his shoulder. Looking up, he was met by shimmering blue eyes that belonged to one of the paramedics. The older man, who seemed to be around his early thirties, shook his head and gave him a warm smile.

"He'll be fine, son. I can tell from the looks of it that your friend is a fighter," he said warmly. "Now, would you like to come along for the ride and give us a summary as to what happened exactly?" James nodded his head. "Okay, come along. We need to get there fast."

James didn't need to be told twice. He immediately jumped into the ambulance and took a seat beside Kendall's still form. Closing his eyes, he grabbed the younger boy's hand and squeezed it in between both of his own. "You're going to be just fine, Kenny. I won't let you leave me."

Again, the paramedic's hand was placed over his quivering shoulder. "I think we should check you in into a room once we get there. You don't look so great," he whispered. "Now tell me, what's your name?"

"James," the brunette mumbled. "James Diamond... And he's Kendall Knight," he said, pointing to the blond.

"Okay James, can you tell me what happened?"

James nodded as he started to explain the events that had led to the situation they were now stuck in, all the while wishing he had done things differently.

* * *

The day had started just fine, with not a trace that something bad was going to happen. It had snowed the day before, which was why James saw this as the perfect opportunity to play in the snow, and maybe skate in the lake as well. Surely, the lake would be frozen by now.

As soon as he awoke from his sleep, James put on his winter clothes -a warm and heavy black jacket over his long-sleeved polo shirt, boots, a beanie, and a scarf around his neck. He barely took any time to eat the pancakes his mother had cooked, even though she warned him about choking due to how fast he was eating.

Excitement was coursing through his veins as he ran out of his house in search of his youngest best friend. He didn't want to bother Carlos and Logan, since he knew that both boys would be busy all day, because Carlos' mom had insisted that Carlos needed a tutor, and Logan's mother had suggested Logan as an option. Knowing Carlos' attention span, both boys would be busy for the most part of the day, which only left Kendall to play with.

While out of the four Carlos was the most hyperactive and fun to play with, Logan and Kendall could be just as fun under certain circumstances. Logan was a tough nut to crack; always trying to be like the mother hen of the group. Kendall could be just as bad at times, but he was easier to crack than Logan. Maybe it was because he was the youngest and always liked to goof around. But whatever the reason was behind Kendall's childish behavior, James liked it.

The brunette ran over to his garage, where he kept his bike. Pulling his scarf even tighter around his neck, he took a hold of the bike and pedaled down the driveway and towards Kendall's home, which was only at a small distance from his house.

The strong and bitter wind slapped him across the face and brushed his chocolate brown bangs away from his face. Within moments he was at Kendall's house, banging on the front door like there was no tomorrow, his bike long forgotten on the ground. When Kendall finally answered, he almost punched him in the face because of how fast he was hitting the wooden door.

"Hey buddy!" he exclaimed happily, cheeks flushed from the cold and body shaking slightly. "Wanna go down to the lake and skate? I brought my bike, that way we'll get there faster."

Kendall stared at him for a couple of seconds, biting on his lower lip. "Okay," the smaller boy said with a smile. James watched as Kendall walked inside his house, only to emerge minutes later wearing warmer clothes and his skates in his hands.

"Come on, Ken." James smiled softly at the younger boy and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him along towards the awaiting bike. He scooted over to the very front of the seat, allowing some space for Kendall to sit behind him. The dirty blond boy climbed on behind him and wrapped his arms around James' waist, clinging onto him as James started to pedal.

Within minutes, the two boys had made it to the frozen lake.

James got off the bike, followed close behind by Kendall. The two sat down on the ground and put on their skates. Seconds later, the two boys were skating around the lake, laughing as the winter wind brushed their hair back.

The next thing that happened was unexpected; neither of the two realized what was happening until it was too late.

Kendall started to drift apart from James, not realizing that the ice in the middle of the lake was not completely frozen. The ice started to break right underneath the boy's weight. It was until the ice completely crashed and the blond was submerged underwater, that James turned around, having heard Kendall cry out his name before going under.

"Kendall?" James asked in a whisper, realizing his best friend was nowhere to be seen. Then he saw the cracked ice; the hole in the middle of the lake. "KENDALL!"

Without thinking about it twice, the brunette removed his skates and laid down on the ice, then starting to crawl his way over to the hole. He peeked inside, just faintly making out the figure of his little buddy.

He dived under without hesitation, taking a hold of the boy by the underarms. It took him a lot of strength to take him out from the freezing water due to the fact that they were both soaked. Kendall was barely breathing, eyes cracked open only slightly.

"Come on, buddy. You're gonna be just fine." He rolled the smaller boy over as he started to throw up the water he had accidentally swallowed. Kendall's tiny body was wracking with each heave, until he went limp in James' hold, blinking at the older boy with pain-filled eyes.

James reached for his cell phone, which he had left on the edge of the lake, right next to his sneakers. He took it in his trembling hands, dialing the three numbers he hoped he would never have to dial in his life.

"911, what is your emergency?"

James blinked back tears as he explained to the person in the other line what had just happened, while holding onto Kendall tight against his chest. No way was he going to let him go.

* * *

"It's my fault..."

James looked up at the paramedic, biting on his lower lip as he gave Kendall's tinier hand a little squeeze. His eyes held unshed tears. The older man could only sigh with sympathy.

"James, this is not your fault, you could have never seen this coming. Accidents like these happen, and very often. There's no one to blame for them. So stop blaming yourself, and focus on being there for Kendall. Do you think he would want for you to blame yourself?"

"No. Never."

"Then? Don't blame yourself. It was an accident."

"I know," James said with a sigh. Just as he said this, the ambulance came to a stop. The two paramedics in the ambulance quickly climbed out, carrying the gurney that Kendall occupied along with them. James followed close behind, not wanting to leave Kendall's side. But once he was inside the hospital, Kendall was wheeled away from him.

"He'll be fine," the paramedic from before whispered as he wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders. "He's a fighter." With that, he was gone before James could even ask him for his name.

_"He's a fighter."_ The short sentence rang in James' ears. That was true. Kendall _was_ a fighter. He was one of the strongest people James had ever known. But Kendall was also small, fragile, and his immune system wasn't the strongest. He could very easily get sick.

The brunette shivered and sat down on one of the waiting room chairs. He had been there for only a few minutes when a nurse came rushing to his side with a blanket, which she wrapped around his trembling shoulders.

"You okay, sweetheart?" she questioned him softly. The shorter boy nodded. "Are you sure you don't need a doctor?"

"I'm fine," he said, forcing a small smile upon his face. "It's my little brother I'm worried about." She nodded solemnly.

"He'll be just fine. Just have faith."

The nurse then left, leaving James alone with his thoughts. He slumped against his chair and closed his eyes. The clock on the wall ticked by and still no news on the blond boy. He tried contacting Mrs. Knight several times, but it always went to voicemail.

Tired of being by himself, the tall boy called up Logan and Carlos. Worried, the boys promised to get to the hospital as soon as possible, but not before going to James' house to retrieve him some clothes.

James wrapped the blanket around his body, hugging it tight as he struggled to obtain some warmth as well as comfort from it. Luckily for him, Logan and Carlos took no time to get there. As soon as they got there, the brunette stood up on wobbly legs and wrapped his arms around them, seeking their comfort, which they didn't fail to give him. Quickly, he changed out of his wet clothes and into dry ones, returning to the waiting room only a few minutes later.

"Have they told you anything?" Logan asked softly, watching James with worried eyes.

"Not yet, and it's been over an hour. I can't get ahold of Mrs. Knight either."

"Don't worry, James, I'll tell my mom to get ahold of her. As for Kendall, he will be fine. I mean, he's Kendall, right?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I just wish someone would-"

"Kendall Knight?"

The brunette boy whipped around, being met by the sight of a young doctor that seemed to be around his late twenties or early thirties.

"That's us!" James and the other boys shouted at once. The doctor stared at them for a moment, looking doubtful.

"Boys, is there a legal guardian around? I can't distribute information to any of you unless..."

"We're his older brothers," Carlos said, interrupting the doctor.

"I can only give information to legal guar-"

"Please just let us see him. We were about to contact his mother. Just... please. I've been waiting for forever." James jutted his bottom lip upward, giving the doctor his best puppy dog eyes.

"I guess you can see him... But only one at a time. He's still recovering. The submersion in the water caused him to acquire a mild case of hypothermia, but his body temperature should be back to normal in no time."

"THANK YOU!" James shouted happily as he gave the doctor a giant hug.

"Umm... You're welcome, son." The man, looking disturbed by the show of affection, walked away, but not before telling the boys to let him know as soon as they contacted Kendall's mother and giving them Kendall's hospital room number,

"You should go first," Logan said, gesturing to James.

"Yeah, you should." Carlos nodded.

"Are you guys sure?"

"Of course we are, now go!" Carlos reassured the younger boy as he gave him a gentle shove forward. James looked back at the two older boys before walking off in search of Kendall's room.

When he reached his destination, the pretty boy slowly pushed the door open. He was immediately greeted by the sight of his best friend, who was awake, but his eyes were dropping closed. A blanket was wrapped around his skinny frame, practically engulfing him with its fluffiness.

"James." The blond struggled to sit up on the bed, big green eyes lighting up at the sight of his best friend. James sprinted to his side, gently pushing the boy down to lay on the bed.

"Don't, you're still very weak," he warned as he sat down on the edge of the bed, pushing back the boy's golden bangs. Kendall only smiled up at him, small hand reaching towards James'. The taller boy took his hand into his own, giving it a reassuring squeeze. He played around with Kendall's fingers, laughing lightly when Kendall giggled.

"What's so funny?" James asked, giant grin spread on his face. Kendall looked up, the smile he had held on his face no longer there.

"Nothing." Kendall blinked up at James before sitting up slowly and wrapping his arms around the hazel-eyed boy, pulling him close. "Thank you, Jay."

Surprised, James stiffened in Kendall's hold, only to hug him seconds later. "You don't have to thank me. That's what friends are for," he whispered in the smaller boy's ear.

"You saved my life. I would have drowned if it wasn't for you." Kendall sniffled and nuzzled his face against James' warm chest. The older of the two held him tight as he laid down beside him and pulled his head to rest against his beating heart.

"You're my little brother. I love you to death, Kenny. I would have never let you die; not as long as I could help it."

Kendall smiled, his eyes falling closed. "Love you too, Jay. You're the best big brother in the world." He curled up into a little ball, snuggling up against James' larger body. His eyelashes fell over his cheeks, casting a shadow.

"Go to sleep, Kenny," James murmured softly. "I'll be here when you wake up."

"Promise?" Kendall asked as his eyes cracked open.

"I promise, little bro."

"Okay." Kendall closed his eyes once again and let James' heartbeat lull him to sleep.

James could only stare with love and admiration at the blond little boy in his arms, smiling softly knowing that he was going to be okay. Kendall might have been smaller than him, but he was a fighter nonetheless.

"Sweet dreams, buddy. I love you."

As soon as those words slipped from his lips, he pressed a soft kiss to the top of Kendall's head and closed his eyes, succumbing into the darkness as well.

* * *

**How'd you all like it? Was it good? Bad? Cute? Horrible? Let me know. :) Thanks for reading!**

**~ BigTimeRush-BTR :)**


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